Knockdown, prefabricated sectional bar



Aug. 8, 1961 M. KoBRlN 2,995,408

KNocKDowN, PREFABRICATED sEcToNAL BAR Filed May 1l,v 1959 INV ENTORMAUR/GE KOBR/N BY pJ/JMQ/ 2,995,408 KNOCKDOWN, PREFABRICATED SECTIONA'LBAR Maurice Kobrin, 7,9 Leroy St., Binghamton, N.Y. Filed May [11, 1959,Ser. No. '812,482 4 Claims. (Cl. `i12-140.2)

This invention relates generally to portable bars and more particularlyto a knockdown, sectional bar particularly adapted for use in therecreation room, etc. of a home. p,

The `number of nished recreation rooms in homes throughout the countryhas increased tremendously in the last few years due, in large part, tothe vgreat emphasis on the do it yourself kits, etc, by manufacturers"of all types. However, the horne owner of average means is oftenstymied when it comes to a refreshment bar for Jadults or a milk bar forthe kids due to a lack of construction knowhow or inadequate linancialmeans for a professional installation. The problem is often increased bylimitations as to the amount'of space available and as to anirregul-arity in the shape thereof.

The main object of the present invention is to provide an improvedportable bar which may be readily built and installed by the averagehome owner to tit 'the available space and without the use of special.knowhow or tools.

An important object of the present invention is to provide an improvedvportablebar ofthe knockdown type which is formed of a plurality Aofidentical sections so constructed that when two or more sections arejoined in side-by-side relationship,V the effect of a unitary,continuous bar is presented.V

Another important object of .the present invention is to providea'portable, sectional bar in which the individual sections are readilyconnectible and each can be readily assembled from knockdown kitscomprising a plurality of correlated parts of predetermined dimensionsand configurations a preselected group of which may be varied so as toenable by way of modular building construction principles a variety ofbar assemblies such as straight, curved, angular, or combinationsthereof with vertical orvariably inclined front walls.

A further importantV object of the present invention is to provide animproved, portable bar of one or more sections formed of strong,lightweight materials, `and which is economical in cost, andstrong andrugged and of long life in use.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent during the course of the following description.

In the drawings, I have shown one embodiment of the invention. In thisshowing:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the bar constructed in accordance withthe present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a rear elevational view thereof;

FIGURE 3 is a sid'e elevational View to an enlarged scale of a barsection;

FIGURE 4 is a rear elevational view thereof;

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view thereof;

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of the intermediate bracing shelf of a section;and

FIGURE 7 is a plan view to a reduced scale illustrating how the barsections may be united to form a circular bar.

Referring to the drawings, the bar comprising the present inventioncomprises one or a plurality of sections and for purposes ofillustration only, FIGURES 1 and 2 show the bar as formed of threesections 10, 12 and 14 which are identical except that :the outersections 10 and 14 each include a side panel 16 Whereas the intermediatesection 12 does not.

Each of the bar sections includes a pair of spaced, ver- United StatesPatent O ice tically disposed frames 18 which are arranged parallel asindicated by dotted lines 19 to form a straight bar of a plurality ofsections or as shown (FIGURES 4 and 5) angularly `to form an angular orcircular bar. The frames 18 each comprise a pair of spaced posts 20, oneforwardly inclined and the rear one Vertical, each rabbeted at theirupper ends, intermediate portions, and their lower ends to be unitedwith similarly rabbeted portions of an upper cleat 22, an intermediatecleat 24 and a lower cleat 26, the members being secured at theirrabbeted lconnections by nails or screws to form a lightweight, butstrong and unusually rigid supporting structure due to the inclinationof the forward posts 20.

The upper cleats are provided with bolt holes 28 so that when completelyassembled, adjacent sections may be readily detachably connected bymeans of bolts and thumb nuts 30 (FIGURE 2) which are hidden fromexternal view.

While the Vsections may be xed to a separate base, it is preferable thatthe sections have integral bases as shown, each of which is formed bythe pair of lowercleats or side base Imembers 26 fixed to the bottoms ofthe posts 20 as by nails or screws, and a riser 34 which closes thefront of the base while the rear is left open.

An important feature of the invention resides in the automatic alignmentofk the frames 18 during assembly as to the relative-angle between theplanes ofthe frames, this being zero angle and parallelism, or apredetermined angle so -that the frames `are arranged angularly with`respect to each other as shown in full lines. This alignment. iseffected bythe identical shapes and transversely identical sizes of thecounter 36, the intermediate shelf 38, and the lower shelf 40, the twoshelves including cutout portions 21 for the posts 20, and-the frontcounter edge-which may be round `as indicated in dotted lines atSii-includes alip or Vbead molding strip 37.

The predetermined transversal dimensions `of the counter and shelves aresuch, as when the sections are assembled, that their lateral edgesexactly coincide with the vertical plane of the outer surfaces of theframes 18, Thus, when the counter 36, the shelf 38 and the shelf 40 arerespectively placed on the spaced cleats 22, 24 yand the base membercleats 26, and secured thereto as by nails or screws, the sides of thesections will be absolutely vertical and flush, and when connected to anadjoining section, the entire joint between the two sections will not benoticeable. It will be noted that the counter and the two shelves thuscompletely eliminate any need for transverse bracing between the frames18.

Another important feature of the invention resides in the determinationof the angle of the front wall 42 which is preferably inclined forstrength and foot room (as will appear) as shown in full lines (FIGURE3) rather than vertical as shown dotted at 43. The front wall 42 may beinclined a given angle to uncover a portion 41 of the lower shelf 40delined by a slot 45 extending between the front posts 20 to form afootrest by forming the left end of the cleats 22 and 24 at that angleand shortening the length of the shelf 38 and of the cleats 24 inaccordance with the projected line of the angle. The front wall 42 isthus strongly mounted by nails or screws flush against the angled endsof the cleats 2-2 and 24 and the front faces of the inclined posts 20,and braced intermediate thereof by the forward end of the shelf 38 so asto be rigid against any knocks or blows encountered in use. The loweredge of the front wall 42 extends into the slot 45 formed between thefront posts thus making a neat joint.

It will now be readily apparent that a portable bar of a single section,or an angular bar of two or three sections (FIGURES 1 and l2) or more(FIGURE 7) can be readily assembled by the novel components disclosed inthe drawings in full lines, that the angular bar may have counters 36with rounded (35) front edges rather than angular, and that the frontpanel 42 may be vertical (43) or inclined at a predetermined angle asdefined by forming the ends of the key frame members or cleats 22 and 26and inclining the front posts 20 at that angle, to thus uncover aportion of the lower shelf to form a footrest 41. Y Obviously, the outermembers of the sections 36, 42, 41, 34 and 16 may be colored orornamented as desired. For example, the counters 36 may comprise orinclude game playing areas such as checker board markings, etc. and havespecial waterproof or burnproof covers or nishes.

Another important aspect of the present invention resides in itsadaptability to the practice used in modular building construction ofselecting common dimensions in such manner that the units ofconstruction can be assembled in a variety of ways. Thus, if somesections have counters and shelves so dirnensioned as to have parallelside edges as indicated at 19 in FIGURE 5, a plurality of joined suchsections would form a straight, non-angular bar, If some such sectionswere combined with the angular sections described, then the resultingbar would be part straight and par `angular depending on the particularmanner in which the sections are combined. Thus, regardless of the shapeor dimensions of the space available, the portable bar comprising thepresent invention, depending on the proper choice of sections, isreadily adaptable thereto. Similarly, the 'angle of the front Wall 42can be varied from the vertical as ldesired by varying the keydimensions and angular disposition of parts here inbefore referred to.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown anddescribed is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and thatvarious changes in the shape, size and `arrangement of parts may beresorted to without departure from the spirit of the invention or thescope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. A portable bar including one or more identical sections eachcomprising a pair of laterally spaced, vertically arranged, side frames;each of said frames comprising spaced front and rear posts andconnecting upper, lower, and intermediate cleats to form a unitarystructure; means for holding said side frames in a predetermined angularposition with respect to each other comprising horizontal shelves ofidentical transverse dimensions each having opposed lateral edgesarranged at said angular position with respect to each other, fixed Itoand terminating flush with pairs of said cleats; a pair of side panelsxed to and coextensive with the outer frame sides, and a front wallextending from said uppermost shelf at least to said lowermost shelfwith its side edges ilush with the outer surfaces of said panels, saidfront posts being inclined toward the base of said rear posts, and saidfront walls extendingl from the uppermost shelf to the lowermost shelfto expose a portion of the latter to define a footrest therewith.

2. A device as recited in claim l wherein a slot is Y formed in saidlowermost shelf between the bases of said front posts and said frontwall projects therewithin.

3. A device as recited in claim 1 wherein said intermedilate cleats areshorter than said uppermost cleats and their relative lengths determinesthe angle of inclination of the rearwardly downward extending frontwall.

4. A device as recited in claim 1 wherein the front edge of theintermediate shelf engages said front wall to form a transverse braceintermediate its span.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

